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Malta.
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An island of ancient legend
and warrior knights.
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A link between Europe and North Africa.
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And, in 1940, a pivotal British
base in the Mediterranean.
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For two years during the Second World War,
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the people of the island were
forced underground in terror
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as the Axis powers unleashed on them
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one of the greatest aerial
bombardments in history.
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If Malta fell, the British feared,
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then so would North Africa, the Suez Canal
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and the oilfields of the Middle East.
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The King himself recognised the suffering,
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awarding the entire
island the George Cross.
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The tale is ingrained
in the island's legend,
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but Malta's story is more than its siege.
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This was a desperate fight for life
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won by the narrowest of margins.
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A fight for the seas, a
struggle for the skies,
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the battle for Malta itself.
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Looking out over the
peaceful harbours today,
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it's almost impossible to imagine
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that, during the war,
this was hell on earth.
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The battle for Malta was